Zoo News Digest is the longest established and most widely read listing of current 'zoo' related news on the internet. It notes 'real' events of interest to people working within the zoo industry. By a Zoo Professional for Zoo Professionals and other interested parties. The Digest includes comments and notification of courses and events.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Scrawler: Keep the elephants — get the Jaguars

Anybody else thinking of telling the people trying to hijack our elephants to go to hell?

TV legend Bob Barker and other phony American animal activists attempted fleecing of three Toronto Zoo elephants seems to me to be nothing more than an attempt to help grow the population at a bizarre elephant sanctuary population in Tennessee or California.

And you bet the price is right.

One of the suggestions is for Toronto taxpayers to foot a $50,000 bill to transport Toka, Thika and Iringa to a 2,700 acre fenced-in compound and so called “retirement” in Tennessee.

Generations of Toronto Zoo goers won’t get to experience them ever again and an American sanctuary will get the elephants for free.

Call it what you want but it looks like nothing more than an elephant zoo to me. Oh, sure, the Tennessee sanctuary says it’s not open to visitors but read the fine print.

“By pledging $2,000 or more each year for five consecutive years, you may enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sanctuary,” their website says. “This visit includes a tour of our elephant houses as well as the expansive habitat... Patron-level donors are invited to tour the facility through our VIP Pledge Program, but the Sanctuary is closed to the general public.”

It costs just $23 to see the elephants here. The Tennessee captivity operation looks more like an elephant zoo for the rich.

There’s even a gift shop with their elephants on T-shirts for sale.

Sure they want our elephants. Their website shows nine of the 24 elephants they display pictures of have died.

Instead of giving ours away for nothing, the zoo should make the necessary improvements here and try to get as many visitors to the Toronto Zoo in the years to come to help with the expense.

Our council should be telling these do-gooders to stick it.

If the Toronto Zoo — which certainly is a poacher free zone unlike what these elephants would have to deal with in their natural habitats — gives in, who knows what sanctuary of the week will pop for monkeys, lions or giraffes next?

The very future of the zoo is at stake here and instead of letting politically-correct wackos slowly dismantle its allure, stand up and tell these opportunists to pack up their trunk and go home.

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About Me

I have worked in the zoo world for over 48 years in the capacity of keeper, head keeper and curator. For information related to a zoos, zoo careers and more please see:
http://hubpages.com/_BL29/hub/The-Zoo-Hubs
See also my profile at:
http://www.google.com/profiles/elvinhow